01/29/2025

Identity Theft Awareness and Update on IRS Processing of Identity Theft Victim Assistance Cases

taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov

Identity theft is a constant threat that can happen to anyone. As the saying goes: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With the annual filing season beginning this week, it is a good time to highlight resources available to help mitigate the potential of becoming a tax-related identity theft victim. Generally, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with identity theft prevention, reporting, and recovery. The FTC annually holds Identity Theft Awareness Week, and its 2025 iteration is underway this week. For additional tax-related identity theft information, the Security Summit, a public-private partnership working to protect against identity theft fraud in taxation, recently held its ninth annual National Tax Security Awareness Week.

What Can Taxpayers Do to Protect Themselves from Identity Theft?

Knowledge is power in the fight against identity theft. I encourage taxpayers to fortify their knowledge through free offerings like the FTC’s Identity Theft Awareness Week.